March 14, 1991 - Of Wood Ducks, Grebes and OspreysMarch 14, 1991 • The Suffolk Times CS
Of Wood Ducks, Grebes and Ospreys
By Paul Stoutenburah
If you recall, Sunday was clear and
cold but oh how that wind blew! Yet
my son wanted to take his "work boat"
that's been in the water all winter for a
spin. Seemed like a good idea to me and
so in no time we were both bundled up
and with a fortified jug of hot tea to
keep out the cold, we were off.
Those who know the peculiarities of
outboard motors, particularly in the
wintertime, know all too well the old
25 didn't jump into activity right away.
As usual, it took a bit of coaxing. The
battery just about turned the cold motor
over and so I helped by pulling the
starter rope and soon had it turning over
but without igniting. Now some "beetle
juice" (starter fluid) was squirted into
the gaping carburetor and after a few
more pulls it coughed and sputtered and
finally worked itself into a reasonable
purr.
To be honest, I was completely
amazed; I never thought it would start.
We let go of the mooring that had held
her through the wind, snow, rain and
cold for all those winter months and
were now on our way toward the bay.
Black ducks rose from the marsh to our
left. By now, pairing is all but
complete and as the flock of 10 or so
lifted into the air you could plainly see
who was going with whom. In another
month or so some will be looking for
nesting sites hidden in the tall marsh
grass of our creeks. More likely, not
satisfied with the limited habitat here on
the East End, they will leave and head
north where there is more open space
and less of man's civilization. It was
good to see this king of ducks in our
creeks and once again it showed me how
important these wintering grounds are
for resting and feeding.
Wind Pushed Us Along
We probably could have cut the
engine and been blown out of the creek
by the strong winds but we merely idled
the engine with the wind behind, which
moved us right along. At the mouth of
the creek there was a flock of bufflehead
that scurried excitedly out of the water
and drifted off on the wind low to the
left. This duck, like our wood duck and
a few others, nests in tree cavities. It's
always been hard for me to realize this
feat for a duck but nevertheless some
do. Of course, these small black -and-
white ducks do not nest here but go
farther north to the woods and swamps
that have hollow trees for nesting.
I was glad to see how clear the water
was. We all remember the foul, brown -
looking water of a few years ago when
we were bathed in the brown tide. Hope-
fully we've seen the last of that down-
turn in our bays. We passed beaches
where in a few weeks piping plovers
will be back trying to find a place to
nest. Today they'd have no problem for
the beaches were bare of people, vehi-
cles, dogs and cats. I'm afraid they'll get
discouraged again when the warmer
weather comes, which will undoubtedly
bring back man and his trappings. Like
so many of our native wildlife the pip-
ing plovers are being pushed out by an
ever- increasing human population.
At one point we rounded a jetty and
scared a horned grebe into flight. Usu-
ally they dive rather than fly but, with
the strong wind, flying was the quickest
and surest way to get away from that
lumbering motorboat. It's seldom I'm
Focus on
Nature
privileged to get as good a look at this
small grebe up close in its winter
plumage. Soon it will lose its drab
grey- black- and -white coat for one with
golden ear tufts and a chestnut neck.
Only once have I seen this summer
plumage on the East End and that was
only after I picked one up with a broken
back. Someone was trying out their
speedboat and the grebe could not get
away. Usually they are gone before the
summer folks arrive. One of the charac-
teristics that makes the grebe different
from a duck is it has lobed rather than
webbed feet.
Land Offered Protection
We stayed in the lee of the land on
most of our trip to keep out of that pen-
etrating northwest wind. At one point
we stopped so that I could inspect an
osprey platform that looked like it
needed attention. Sure enough, it needs
repairs so it will be added to our list of
two others that blew down during
winter storms. This will have to be
done soon; in fact, the sooner the better.
Usually, the first ospreys return around
March 21. But Mike Kujawski of
Mattituck saw the first pair of ospreys
at Husing Pond in Mattituck on March
12. This is one of the earliest sightings
we have on record.
Back home I set about fixing up
some needed chickadee boxes. I usually
put up a few new each year or if they
open I clean them out. The reason bird
boxes should be emptied each year is to
take out old nesting materials and to
chase out any mice that took up winter
quarters in them. The problem I have is
that Mr. Raccoon knows about the mice
and this winter he has literally pulled or
ripped apart most of my birdhouses to
get at the sleeping mice inside. Nature
is a cruel taskmaster and food of any
kind is fair game for a raccoon.
By the way, a small house with a
one -inch opening placed five to six feet
up will usually lure a chickadee. Any
larger opening will bring you the com-
mon sparrow or starling if it is big
enough. This year I'm trying something
new. I cut a sassafras tree down in the
woods in back of the house and found it
was completely hollow; so I cut it up
in eight -inch lengths and now all I have
to do is drill a one -inch entrance hole
and add a top and bottom. It should be
the most natural - looking and hopefully
enticing of all my bird boxes.
It's "getting prepared for spring" that
keeps me busy around our place. Some
of the effort will pay off. Some will not
but then that's part of the game you
play with the natural world. You never
really know how things are going to
turn out and that's what makes it
interesting.
Get to Know Herbs
YAPHANK —The Herb Association
of Long Island will meet on Tuesday,
March 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at
the Suffolk County Farm and Education
Center, Yaphank Avenue.
A guest lecturer and a plant exchange
are scheduled. New members are always
welcome. Call 282 -1513 for more in-
formation.
Photo by Barbara Stoutenburgh
CHICKADEE — Everyone with a bird feeder has this active little fellow.
It can often be lured into a small bird box with a one -inch opening.
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